Aquillus
by Setaflow
Summary: In a brief autumn night, Ava begins to question her faith after a long time of putting it aside. Troubled, she seeks Cory and Connor for guidance. A oneshot for "There Isn't a Flag I Haven't Waved."


**Hello, all! Just a brief oneshot because I know in my description of my real story, I wanted to talk about Ava's faith, but I never really expanded on it. Plus, I learned some interesting things about Native religion that I really wanted to incorporate in a story. It was too short to be a chapter, so I made it a oneshot. **

**This doesn't really advance the plot, just something I wanted to put on paper. Er...a screen. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Assassin's Creed, but in this case, i do own Ava and Cory. DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE STORY IT'S BASED ON!**

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_Autumn, 1774_

The air in Boston had only gotten colder as fall crept into the city like a stalking animal. The people and the houses they lived in were gripped with an icy frost come the first days of the month. Fires glowed in the streets at all times, tossing about the shadows of those around them as the flames danced on the walls. Cory had predicted the first snowfall would be in a few days, and I privately agreed with him. The leaves that weren't cleared fromthe streets had grown a delicate layer of whiteness; cold and easily broken to the touch of a finger. Although we preferred to stay in the safety of the hideouts below the Green Dragon Tavern, it was nights like this that brought us to the top, just to take in the world and our responsibilities we held so precariously on our shoulders.

It was as fine a night as you could have hoped for. Cory sat next to me on the top of the tavern, both of us looking and smiling down at the men and women passing below. Our breath came out in small puffs that headed upwards to join the clouds above us. It was around midnight, by my best guess. The guards nearest to us fought to stay awake as they battled the cold and the proposal of a nice nap. A full moon blessed us with enough light to make out our surroundings. I shuffle closer to Cory for warmth, and he thankfully doesn't push me away.

"Look," he whispered, pointing a lanky arm into the sky. Black against the white moon was the wingspan of a large bird, flying south to escape the frozen city. "My mother always loved birds. She loved their gracefulness."

"I can see what she means." I giggle softy. The tip of my nose feels numb, so I rub it to get blood flowing there. "I was named after a bird, you know."

Cory's gray eyes round on me with interest. "Ava? I don't think that's a bird."

My giggling evolves into a small chuckle. "No. That's not what I meant! My native name is _Kunishoka_. In our language, it means 'snow hawk.'"

More breath obscures Cory's face as he sighs in response. "Why 'hawk'?" When I tilt my head in questioning, he starts and looks away briefly. "I mean, why are you named after a bird?"

My cheeks go red at his curiosity, and I avoid his gaze. 'My father told me that it was to appease the spirits. In our culture, the elders tell us that each man and woman has four souls." I press two fingers against his chest, right on the breastbone, and Cory looks at me with wide eyes. His pale cheeks go as red as the tomatoes he brings for us to eat.

"When we die," I go on, "One of these souls goes up to the heavens to be judged by one of the greatest spirits of them all. The elders said that she was an old woman living in the colors of the otherworld, who examined all those who passed on into the next life. If she deemed you worthy, then you would go on into the next life to live in peace and comfort with all those who were lost or taken from you."

Gray eyes meet green once more. "And if you aren't worthy?"

"Then your soul gets cast back down to the earth to wander the world as a phantom. You live between the spirit world and the real world, not really living in either. You're just an echo of what you used to be, unable to go anywhere."

I glance down at the ground once more. Donna the barmaid sweeps the front of the tavern below us, brushing any debris away. "And what about the other three souls? There were four, right? What happens to them?"

My heart flutters at his eagerness to learn, and so I turn my attention back to him. "They get reincarnated. You know what that is, right? Some souls go back into the lives of newborn children to be alive again." I stare up at the sky again, knowing that Cory's gaze will follow. "But some go into the bodies of animals. Birds in particular, because they can have the feeling of being close to the spirits who dominate the sky. Back at my old home, the cliffs could only be scaled by those who knew how to travel with the speed of the avian. And so, my tribe believes that eagles, hawks, and other bird have a special connection with our spirits."

We don't speak for a while after I'm done. Instead, we settle for watching the people of Boston stamp out their fires and return to their homes. Cory's eyes are narrowed, and he breaks our icy silence after an eon of waiting. "How much do you believe all of this?"

"I still do, in some cases." I answer honestly. "But if they do exist, then what happened to me all those years ago wouldn't have happened. Right? I feel as though they've turned their backs on me."

I get a nod in return. 'I've never been one for believing, either." Cory confesses. "My mother still has faith in God, but I can't say that I do. I respect her beliefs, but I'd rather place my trust into something I can see. Or touch. Or hear. You know?"

I press my body firmly against his side, driving the chill away from my left. 'All too well, Cory." I whisper.

"All too well."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Connor. What do _you _believe in?"

Six months had passed since our conversation on the roof of the Green Dragon Tavern. Cory decided that it would be easier for him to focus if I went on a hunting trip to gain furs to sell. He was still picking out the unfortunate man that would be our first target, and I personally told myself that he could take as long as he wanted.

Against my better judgment, I decided that going to the Davenport Homestead would be best, since it lacked guards and was plentiful in terms of prey. I originally wanted to enlist the help of Myraim, but she was busy with her own troubles. To my surprise, it was Connor who volunteered to help me instead, and for the most part I enjoyed his company. Once he had stopped criticizing my shooting, of course.

We had paused for a moment alongside a shallow river cutting deep into the homestead property. We sat down alongside the river, watching the stream gurgle and rush forward and enjoying the pleasant air and the shadiness the trees provided. Connor raised his head up into the air to watch an eagle fly overhead. As he did so, it struck me that Connor, although different from me in many ways, wasn't that different in terms of our upbringing. And I won't lie, I was curious.

The Assassin seemed startled at my question, like he hadn't given it thought for many years. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, looking away. "Just a question."

Connor closed his eyes for a minutes before snapping them open again. "I believe in my ability to know who I can't trust." He answered simply.

I was dying to ask him more but something in the back of my mind told me that I wouldn't get anything out if I bothered to prattle him again.

I think back to what Achilles told me about Connor's mother. Maybe it was the same reason that I stopped believing in the idea of something more powerful than myself. Something traumatizing, such as that and what I had to go through, would make anyone lose faith. I stared at the water, seeing my reflection ripple and distort my face as I faced a clear blue sky.

_Maybe I'm more like Connor then my mentor, _I wonder. Cory didn't have any faith in a bigger force, but Connor seemed to consider_ himself_ to be the bigger force. But could I really compare myself to him? My mind was ready to burst from the thinking until something struck me.

While I don't have faith in a powerful being, I do have faith in the people I care about. And that was more important than the ideals of a spirit commanding nature. People were real; spirits were something too obscure for my mind to accept.

I stand up, making Connor snap his head back to me.

"Let's keep going. I need to let out some anger."

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**Yeah, so just a brief thing. Even the minimal Ava/Cory fluff isn't really that important yet. But I enjoyed writing it. Maybe I'll add an afterthought once I get farther.**

**For anyone wondering, I haven't even started the next chapter of my story yet. Too much work. But I'm going as fast as I can, so bear with me please!**

**Thanks for reading and leave a review!**


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